A Shinigami's Undying Nindo
by Ghoul-Warrior
Summary: After successfully bringing peace to the Elemental Nations, Naruto is once more needed to bring peace to... the universe? Given a mission by Kami herself and reincarnated into a shinigami, he is thrusted into another world that houses it's own laws and powers that are different than in his old world. Will follow canon plot line. Pairings will be revealed later in the story.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Yes, I've started a new fic. Don't worry, I'll keep continuing The Forbidden Son fic later. I've just had the urge to write a crossover story entailing both Bleach and Naruto. Oh well, see you at the bottom.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach or anything cool for that matter...

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Guardian Angel**

A boy of around 17 years old could be seen sprawled spread eagle on the ground. This boy was no ordinary person; rather, he was no ordinary individual. The young teenager with his distinguishable whiskers and deep oceanic colored orbs (eyes) slowly stirred from his deep slumber. The boy was vastly different from how he had looked two short years ago. For one thing, he was taller. His hair was cropped short to accommodate his new plastic headband. He was also wearing a black uniform-style jacket with an orange zipper that featured several buttons on the waist and sleeves. He had decided long ago to rid himself of his orange tracksuit. Covering his entire body was a short-sleeved red coat with a black flame pattern along the hemline.

Grasping his temple, the boy shakes his head momentarily before pausing in thought. Looking down, he is surprised that he is in his current attire. Realizing immediately that he was not in his bed, let alone his room, he gazes around at his surroundings. Much to his surprise, he was met with the sight of pure white. In fact, the scene was too white that it was nearly blinding him. Squinting, Naruto shades his eyes slightly before carefully picking himself up.

 _"Where am I? Where's Hinata?"_ This unconscious thought quickly riled the boy up in a rational panic. Looking frantically for any signs of the white-eyed beauty and- most importantly- his wife.

Noticing movement to his right, he instinctively grabs for a kunai from his back pouch, except… he grasps air instead of his trusty ninja tool.

 _"What the-"_

Too late, a figure appears directly in front of the now nervous boy and flicks him on the forehead. Being caught off guard for once in many years, the boy stumbles back clumsily before regaining his balance. He then gives the unknown person a look of confusion and caution.

The figure appears to react at the boy's behavior by eliciting some sort of sound while shrugging uncontrollably. Baffled at this, Naruto was about to ask what was going on before the figure in front of him twirls.

From twirling, it seemed the figure was able to unwrap the veil that was covering them, and Naruto was now able to see the true appearance of whatever it was he was looking at. The boy's eyes go wide with surprise at the now revealed person in front of him.

A tall woman with pale skin and eyes a light shade of blue with blonde hair stared warmingly back at the boy. She was wearing a turquoise-colored gown with a white underside and silver high heels. Naruto quickly realized the woman was actually giggling the entire time. Scratching his head in thought, he decided that the girl was harmless, for now anyways…

"It's about time you woke up, silly boy!" The woman cheerfully pointed out while putting her hands together for emphasis. She then narrowed her eyes at the boy, much to his growing dismay. "Wait a minute, you were pretending to sleep weren't you?" She huffed out cutely.

A stunned look graces the young shinobi's face at the girl's accusation before he decides to just _get_ the usual greeting out of the way.

"Uh, I'm sorry but I don't know what's going on… umm…" There was an awkward pause and the girl didn't help to resolve it since she kept looking back at Naruto with an imploring smile much to his growing discomfort. "What's your name?" He asked finally.

"Kami."

Coughing immediately after hearing that name, the boy had to let that fit of coughing pass before regaining his composure. "I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say your name was Kami?"

Nodding her head, the girl drew her pointer finger into the air and spelled her name 'Kami' to emphasize her point.

 _"What? The most powerful and oldest deity in the universe is actually a girl who looks no older than me?"_

"Heh, hehehehehehe!" Naruto had unexpectedly bursted into a nervous fit of laughter. The young looking girl merely tilted her head in confusion. "Damn, all those years of eating ramen must have made me gone insane." He rationalized before continuing, "This is a dream. Yes, this is definitely just one big weird dream."

"Well, you're kind of correct in that assumption." Glancing quickly at the girl who now had her pointer finger to her lips in a thoughtful expression, Naruto gives her a questioning look. "Hmm, I think it would be easier to explain all this to you if my lovely assistant was here to help us out." And with that statement she claps her hand to no one in particular.

…

…

"I wonder if she is lost again?" Kami asked mostly to herself out loud whilst sighing. Putting her pointer finger once more to her right ear like an earphone, she taps her foot with impatience. "Kami to heaven, Kami to heaven, can heaven's lost property please report to the heavenly gates? I repeat, can heaven's lost property please report to the heavenly gates? Thank you." Her voice from the celestial intercom cuts out with a satisfying static click.

Waiting several more moments longer, a new figure finally flaps down from the sky, erm thin air, ugh, at this point it really didn't matter to him.

When the figure gets closer, Naruto could see it was another girl except this girl had brilliant feathery wings protruding from her back. She had long rosy pink hair that was tightly secured with dark pink ribbons. She had an "ahoge" which is the long strand of hair that protruded out of her hair. She also had emerald colored eyes. Calmly, she strolls up to the both of them, an emotionless look plastered on her face.

"Master, I am here as you requested." She states while bowing much to her master's tired sighs and groans.

"Dear me, how many times have I told you not to call me that, Ikaros?"

"Master, you have approximately told me that-"

"On second thought, I don't really need to know." Kami gasps, desperate to avoid the infinite number counting from her socially "special" angel.

"Of course, master." She answers back while bowing again.

Rubbing her temple with growing annoyance very much evident on her face, Kami turns her attention to the young man who had been watching the entire interaction with a look of absolute disbelief.

"Anyways, what were we talking about again? Ah, yes, your so-called dream? How should I put this? You're actually more dead than dreaming per se…"

Letting that statement sink in, Naruto's jaw slams into the ground. "Wh-What? You killed me?" He yells in absolute shock and panic.

Waving her hand out in submission, she grabs her assistant and pushes her towards Naruto in hopes of quelling his crazed state (Actually, she was being used as a meat shield more or less.)

"Naruto, you are not dead," Catching this, he pauses his meltdown and looks up optimistically, "not yet anyways." Hearing this, he goes back to freaking out much to Kami's irritation. Ikaros continues to stare at the forlorn boy with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

"Calm down, Naruto. You are not dead in either options." Kami clarifies, finally managing to quell the boy's biggest concern for the moment.

"What do you mean by options?" He asks carefully.

"So we're finally at the million dollar question, huh?" Kami states with a tired huff.

"Million what?"

"It is a form of currency adopted by western society. The lowest amount being the penny. Then the nickel. Then-" But Kami quickly interrupts Ikaros's explanation.

"Point is, Naruto, you have only two options to choose from, and that is why I have induced you into this dream-like state in the first place." Not waiting for the boy's response, she continued talking while raising one finger up into the air, "Option 1: You wake up next to your beautiful wife, have two energetic children, live a long a fructuous life and grow old and die and the usual stuff." She explains nonchalantly. Obviously, she didn't care for this option. "Or you pick the better option and be reborn into a shinigami…"

Giving her a look of disbelief, Naruto glances quickly at Ikaros for any signs of humor; however, she didn't seem to be laughing at the clearly farfetched comments. "You want me to become a Grim Reaper?"

"Actually, a Soul Reaper. The Grim Reaper position has already been taken, kid. Sorry, but you should have applied for it before the creation of the universe." She joked while stifling another fit of giggles and putting her hand in front of her mouth in a weak attempt to do just that.

"Ignoring the fact at how crazy that remark is even, why the hell would I choose option 2?" He demanded with seriousness. He was met with an equally serious look from Kami.

"True, option 1 will give you happiness, an infinite amount of happiness during your long, healthy life." Nodding his head at the notion, Naruto continued to listen intently, "But option 2 will give you the same amount of happiness, and even more during death." Kami explained. "If you haven't realized it already, your world is not the only one that exists." The blonde haired boy raised an eyebrow at this. Clearly he wasn't expecting that revelation, but he had learned long ago to expect the unexpected. "Because of this, each world is connected to one another in some form or another. Imagine the worlds being connected like a web- each strand housing its own life. If one strand breaks, then the next strand will break and so on. Eventually, it will be a long and destructive sequence of unfortunate breaks. And I would have the frustrating task of repairing it and starting all over again. But, you can prevent all that by being reincarnated into a Soul Reaper."

"What? How?" He asks innocently.

"When one becomes a Soul Reaper, or a soul for that matter, their spiritual self no longer needs the hindrances that a physical body would need, thus, the statement earlier about you being dead. In actuality, you will no longer have a body that is just a normal human body but rather the manifestation of your soul that will be able to interact with both the spiritual and physical existences to some degree…"

"I wouldn't have said it any better, Ikaros." Kami complimented the pink haired angel while petting her on the head much to her pleasure at being rewarded. "As to why you would choose option 2? Well, you would still be saving lives. Honestly, you could save countless lives, not to mention an entire universe that includes your world especially. And for being all powerful and what-not, that means a lot."

Scratching his chin in thought, Naruto understands the importance of his answer.

 _"Damn, I shouldn't be surprised that Kami would know about my weak spot dealing with saving peoples' lives."_ Internally groaning, he knew right away the obvious answer he now had to choose because of who he was as a person and as a ninja. Plus, if he rejected the option, there was a good chance he would regret the decision and the repercussions would eventually catch up with him later- most likely his home world being utterly destroyed.

"Will I be able to say goodbye to my wife and friends then?"

Shaking her head solemnly, Kami looks away for a moment before returning her attention to the now depressed boy. "I will tell you this. You might, MIGHT, be able to see your wife again during your mission. But I cannot promise you anything."

Nodding and smiling at the thought of possibly seeing his wife again, Naruto regains his composure. "I will see you again, Hinata. I swear on my soul…" He mentally vows before returning his attention back to the cheerful goddess. Unbeknownst to him, Kami mentally smirked at his reaction since the boy took her declaration for face value. If only he had worded his question clearer or delved deeper, the seventh Hokage would have felt so much better. But this was all part of the goddess's overarching plan and it was going accordingly.

"Why can't you just solve the problem and use your god powers to make everything right?"

"True, I could do that. But…" She paused while taking on a thinking pose. "It wouldn't be any fun then!" At this statement, Naruto face-faulted hard into the floor. Quickly getting back up, he glares at the guilty looking woman.

"What the hell? Do you think this whole thing is just one big game?" Naruto yells out with escalating anger.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Regardless what I think and can do, you should focus on what you can do, child." Kami points out. The boy shakes his head before letting out a defeated sigh. He knew either way that he was going to have to do something or else risk letting a universal disaster occur, no thanks to Kami to whom he didn't really believe she truly meant what she had said about her not caring earlier. From meeting with her for the short period of time, he knew the goddess was much more than the goofy, childish person she showed him as being. This also meant that there was some other reason as to why she needed his help. Shaking his head, he looks back at her with an exasperated expression.

"So, I'm guessing I 'died' then?"

"Yep, you sleep walk into the kitchen and choke on a ramen noodle." Kami says simply with a smile.

…

"I die by choking on ramen?" Naruto asks incredulously. Seeing a nod from the girl, Naruto grabs his hair in despair. "After all I've been through, my most beloved food kills me in the end?"

While Naruto was complaining about his manner of death, Ikaros turns her head so she's looking at Kami with a confused look. "Master, you told me Naruto simply disappears and is presumed dead after 10 years." Naruto's ear twitches at this comment from the innocent looking angel.

"What? You were joking about me choking on a piece of ramen?"

"Oh silly, of course I was joking. Like you said earlier, after all you went through, your manner of death should be representative of your life. In this case, you die mysteriously. Yes, very honorable and heroic I must say." She states while shooing her hand without any sense of thought.

"Kami, I seriously doubt you're sane."

"Like they say, 'The most powerful beings are the craziest,' tehehehehehe." She giggles. This makes Naruto sweat-drop and Ikaros tilt her head at the odd exchange between the two people.

"Now that we've got the pesky details out of the way, I think it'd be best if I explained to you your duties, abilities and the other important stuff. Your one and only mission are to protect and to aid one of your fellow shinigami or rather substitute Soul Reaper if we're being picky about it."

Naruto groans at this explanation. "You want me to babysit?"

"Call it as you see fit, but in simple terms, yes."

"Fine, what's their name."

But he was answered with a shake of the head from the woman, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. In time young one. However, it will be a lot more complicated than a simple escort mission, I guarantee you that much. Moving on, you will have all your previous human abilities. Obviously, since you freed the Bijuu, you will no longer have any of their powers. That especially includes Kurama's." Nodding his head, he understood perfectly well. Still, he was a bit sad that he would never be able to talk with the pesky fox again.

 _"At least, you won't be using his powers like you were typically accustomed to before in your old world…"_ Kami mentally chuckled _._ Oh how she loved to mess with the poor, unsuspecting boy.

Snapping her fingers, Naruto's attire turned into a traditional school uniform, much to the boy's surprise. "Now, you are officially a shinigami. Traditionally, you wouldn't become one so easily but then again I am Kami. If anyone questions how I was able to give you shinigami status, tell them it's because I'm goddamn Kami!" She yells with fire in her eyes.

"Yeah, okay." Naruto says simply. He was quickly getting used to the women's eccentric nature.

"As for your current attire. You will be attending a high school in Karakura Town. That is where you will meet your fellow peer."

"Great, now what's their name?" He asked forwardly, clearly not excited about attending school again. Seeing the goddess waving a piece of paper at him, he grabs it and opens it up. It's completely blank inside.

"Not yet, kiddo. It will reveal the boy's name after you attend the school." This made Naruto grumble with frustration at the women's childish nature while tucking the piece of parchment into his pant's pocket.

"Now to some new pieces of information- your shinigami powers. Let's see…" She thought while tapping her finger against her lips. "Oh, that's right. Every shinigami has a Zanpakutō. It's usually a sword-well it actually is, stupid me. But for you it will be your father's famous kunai, the Hirashin Kunai." Naruto nodded at this statement. It was a pleasant surprise that he would be using something he was familiar with. "And here's another rule breaker: You will be in spirit form the entire time. However, you will still have a physical body. You'll learn later how useful and convenient this exception to the rule will really be. You'll also learn about the many other useful pieces of information later that pertains to being a shinigami as well."

"One last thing. If anyone asks you why you're such an exception to the traditional rules, you'll say?"

"Because Kami said so." Naruto answered back easily.

"And why did Kami say so?"

"Because it's goddamn Kami." He finished while rolling his eyes at the ridiculous rehearsal. Seriously, no one would believe that statement and would probably think he was being a pompous asshole.

"I knew I chose the right person for this job!" The woman cried out with tears of joy. "Well, it's time for you to go and save the universe. Farewell, brave warrior!" And with a snap of the fingers, Naruto disappeared into the background.

Ikaros, who had been patiently waiting throughout the entire interaction, gazed at her master with a stoic expression. "Master, why did you not tell him that I would be accompanying him on this mission?"

"Because then it would ruin the surprise. Yes, he loves surprises!" She answered back while twiddling her fingers and grinning mischievously.

"I still do not understand why I must follow him for this mission. He is clearly capable of succeeding without my help." Ikaros points out while glancing back at where Naruto had originally been standing.

"Alpha, prepare to leave immediately." Kami commanded seriously. Without asking or questioning the sudden request, the angel bowed and took flight back up into the heavens as gracefully as she had landed earlier.

 _"Oh, you poor thing. Even I, Kami, can't teach you everything about the world below the heavens."_ She inwardly frowns while turning her back. _"Maybe you both can learn a_ _l_ _ittle from each other."_ And with that closing thought, she disappears as well.

* * *

"Ugh, damn my head hurts again." Naruto mutters out with disdain while picking himself up from off the ground. He really hoped that this would not be a daily occurrence. Looking up, he sees a rather large looking building looming over him. "Huh, this must be the school Kami was talking about earlier." Noticing the _Karakura High School_ banner on the building only further supported the boy's guess.

Remembering what he was supposed to do, he reaches down into his pant's pocket. Grasping the note, he swiftly unfolds the sheet of paper and reads the ink that was written inside of it. "Hmm, Strawberry. That is an interesting name…" Crumpling up the piece of paper and tossing it aside, the boy takes a deep breath and walks into the building with a determined look on his face.

* * *

"Whoa, check out that kid with the blonde hair!"

"Hey, I've never seen that boy before. He must be new here."

"Oh my, he's so cute! Wait; are those whiskers on his face? That is so freakin cool!"

Naruto blushed slightly at that last remark. Even after all these years, that simple observation was always embarrassing for him. That was the overarching chatter that was being said from the students who noticed him in the hallway. Naruto passed several classrooms before he realized that he had no idea which classroom the boy was even in. Face-palming himself for his stupidity, Naruto scans the hallway until he spots a friendly looking student who, he guessed, might be able to help him in his search. Strolling speedily through the crowded hallway, he finally reached that particular student.

"Hey there, I was wondering if you could help me find a certain boy? His name is Strawberry." This made the student give Naruto an odd look before he suddenly bursted out laughing at the alternate translation of the name.

"Oh, hahaha, you mean Ichigo? Yeah, he's in Miss Ochi's class. Her classroom is literally right behind you." The student answers while pointing towards a classroom that was directly behind Naruto. He then waved goodbye to the irritated boy while still very much laughing out loud at the misinterpretation.

 _"Umm, okay then?"_ Naruto shrugs his shoulders with indifference before turning a 180 and walking into the classroom, not caring whether or not he interrupted it. He wasn't a student here; at least, that's what he kept telling himself anyways. And he sure as hell wasn't going to start acting like one now.

"Now can someone please tell me the answer to this equatio-"

"Okay ladies and gentlemen, the name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm here because I'm looking for a student named Strawberry Kurosaki. So, where are you, cupcakes?" Naruto practically shouted out while searching the room for the important student.

"Hey, who the hell are you calling cupcakes, jackass? And my name is Ichigo!" An angry voice was heard in the middle row. Following the source of the sound, the shinobi turned shinigami was amused at the sight before him. The voice originated from a boy with spiky orange hair that was arguably the most distinguishable feature about him. He had peach skin and brown eyes. The said boy was now standing with his fist pumping towards Naruto in a threatening manner.

"… Hehehehe," Naruto turned his head slightly while putting his hand to his mouth in a teasing manner in a weak attempt to hide his laughter. Alas, he failed blatantly at this attempt. It didn't help that Naruto was using the other hand to point at the boy's pronounced hair, which the boy could clearly tell was being made fun of at the moment.

"Damn you. I'm going to kick your ass-"

"That's enough from the both of you!" Misato declared commandingly. She then gave both boys a glare before whacking Naruto on the upside of the head and told him that interrupting her class like he just did was inexcusable. "Sheesh, I swear, every year there's more delinquents in my class than the previous ones." She mutters before telling Naruto to sit in the back corner. He tried to argue that he wasn't in her class, let alone even going to this school. But understanding the look the teacher gave him made him shut up and to follow her directions since his previous experience with that similar look didn't end well for him either when he argued. Grumbling, he walked down a row of desks before he finally reached 'his' student desk.

 _"Why do always get bullied by women?"_ Naruto thought depressingly while slamming his head on the desk.

"Now that we're past that, I would like to introduce you all to a new student. She just recently transferred here from another town."

 _"That's funny, I'm technically new here but she didn't give me the same treatment."_ Naruto mentally complained sulkily. But when he saw the other new student, he nearly choked himself to death from the unexpected reunion with a certain angel. _"Ga-Gah, Ikaros? Why the hell is she here?"_ She was currently in a school uniform and standing right next to the teacher.

Bowing, she gazes up towards the class with her usual emotionless expression before introducing herself. "Hello, my name is Ikaros. Pleased to meet you all."

"Ikaros, why are you here?" Naruto yells out while mimicking the pose Ichigo had several moments earlier.

Turning her attention to the clearly baffled boy, she bows once more at him. "It's nice to see you again, master Uzumaki."

The class's reaction to this was pretty logical. They were pretty stunned at what the girl just called the new student.

"Did she just call the new kid, master?"

"Man, that is some kinky-ass shit right there."

"I wonder if she's a masochist?"

Glancing back and forth across the classroom with growing dread, Naruto quickly waves his hands out in front of him in a futile attempt to refute the outrageous claims. "N-No you misunderstand. She didn't call me master. Isn't that right, Ikaros?" Naruto begged to Kami that her personal assistant would spontaneously obtain some social sense. Unfortunately, his prayers were not heard. Actually, maybe they were heard but the goddess simply reveled in the boy's suffering. If that was the case, Naruto had to remind himself to bring this embarrassment up to her the next time they talked.

"That's incorrect. I did call you master, master Uzumaki." The angel stated with a monotone voice.

 _"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"_ Naruto was freaking out. He had no idea on how to escape this ridiculous situation. Thankfully for him, the teenager with orange hair rescued him from his awkward situation.

"Miss Ochi, my stomach hurts." Ichigo complained indignantly while standing up from his desk.

"O-Oh alright. You may go to the nurse's office then." The teacher nodded at the boy's request.

"Umm, yeah, me too! I ate too much ramen this morning and I, uh, also have a really bad stomach ache. Yes, that's it!" Naruto frantically claimed. The teacher frowned at this claim, but still thought little of it since she didn't want to deal with them in the first place. So, she allowed Naruto to leave the classroom. Both boys rushed out of the room with inhuman speeds much to the class's shock and awe. Ikaros had a puzzled look on her face after seeing the boys leave. Nevertheless, she was internally perplexed at the whole ordeal.

"S-So, Ikaros, do you think you can answer this equation?" Miss Ochi asked hesitantly, pointing to the blackboard. She was pretty sure this whole weird commotion was over by now. Ikaros, studying the equation and computing all the variables and mathematical formulas, looked at the teacher with a bored expression.

"I will try." She said simply before walking over to the blackboard and grabbing a piece of chalk and beginning to write her answer. After several seconds, she backed away from the board and gave the teacher a questioning stare. The teacher, currently gawking with her mouth wide open and eyes bulging, was perturbed at what she saw.

On the board, Ikaros had written the word 'Master' as her answer much to the teacher's complete bewilderment. " _Why do I always get the delinquents?"_ She mentally cried to herself before banging her head against the board, repeatedly. _"Why me, why me, why me?"_ She screamed in utter despair. The stoic angel continued to stare at the frustrated teacher with a look of bemusement.

* * *

Outside the classroom, the two boys were currently in a heated staring contest with one another for obvious reasons. Ichigo, because of recent events, was very wary of this new individual and did not know what to think of the person in front of him. Naruto on the other hand stared back since he thought the boy in front of him didn't seem to be anything special. Honestly, Naruto was miffed by the whole idea that this boy could affect the entire universe. Realizing that other students were staring at the two of them while passing through the hallway, Ichigo decided to take their little confrontation somewhere more private. He signaled for Naruto to follow him. Frowning, Naruto nodded back slowly. He knew the boy wanted to question him. Whatever, he mined as well get them out of the way since it was inevitable.

Narrowing his eyes while scowling, Ichigo turned around and began leading the whiskered-faced boy to the roof with his hands in his pockets.

Once there, Ichigo glared at the new student with a sense of prejudice. "Who are you and how do you know my name?" Ichigo demanded with a dangerous tone. _"He couldn't possibly be another one of them, could he?"_

But Naruto answered back by studying the spiky haired boy for several moments before letting out a tired sigh and putting his hands behind his head in a resting position. "Strawberry, this may seem crazy, believe me I would think so too, but I'm here to… watch over you." He finally said. _"Wait, that sounded kinda stalkerish. Shit, I should have worded it better so that I didn't come off as being a creep."_

Ichigo just gave the now revealed boy a deadpanned squint. "You're… watching over me?" To this, Naruto slowly nodded his head in slight shame. "Uh, that seems kinda stalkerish and creepy…"

"Damn it, kid, I'm starting to think that accepting this mission was a huge mistake. Screw the universe if I have to deal with you!" Naruto pouted while waving his arms wildly in the air in a childish manner since the orange haired teen pretty much relayed what he was just thinking perfectly.

"Who are you calling kid? You look practically my age!" Ichigo shouted back angrily. "Wait, what about the universe?"

Huffing out with disdain, Naruto curls his lips and looks the other way. "Forget it. A kid with a carrot top for a head doesn't need to know about adult stuff."

Clenching his fist, Ichigo grits his teeth while trying desperately to quell the flaming urge to beat the boy in front of him into a pulp. "I wouldn't be talking, kitty face."

"You take that back right now, cupcakes!" Naruto replied back furiously.

"Kitty face!"

"Cupcakes!"

"Kitty face!"

"Cupcakes!"

Both boys were now within centimeters of each other's faces and both grasping one another's collars. After several more harmless insults, the two boys separate and become content with just glaring at the other.

"So, you were looking for me because you need to watch over me?"

"Yep,"

"Fine, who sent you then?" Ichigo asked carefully.

"Kami."

"…"

"…"

"You're- you're joking, right?" Naruto scratched the back of his head in thought. It was natural that the boy would question him about that. Hell, Naruto could hardly believe it too and probably would have never believed it if he hadn't actually had met her in person.

"Yeah, and she has given me a mission to tag along with you since the fate of the universe is dependent on you." He revealed to a still shocked looking teen.

"Does that mean you're an angel or something?" Ichigo asked in disbelief still not fully believing the boy's outlandish claims.

"I'd say I was something."

The skeptic boy observed the blonde haired individual for a couple seconds before crossing his arms.

"So you're telling me that Kami sent you here to follow me, right?" Getting a tired nod from Naruto, he continued with his summary. "And that I have the power to change the universe based off my actions?" Again, Naruto nodded in confirmation.

"So, do you believe me?" He asked simply. However, Ichigo had a growing tick mark throughout this whole spiel.

"Oh I believe you, along with flying pigs and the tooth fairy!" He cried out with vexation before grabbing the boy again.

"Stop messing with me, dammit! Why are you really here?" Understanding that his explanation was clearly not being accepted, he pushed the teen off him with ease and brushed himself off of any dirt.

"I'm tired of trying to get it through your thick, stubborn head that I'm really here to help you." Naruto exclaimed. "Look, I truly want to help you. Forget about what and who I am and let's just focus on the main point. I. Am. Here. To. Help. You!" He sounded out to Ichigo in a manner a six year old would understand perfectly well.

Growling a little at how he was being treated, Ichigo turns away from the boy. "Fine, but just stay out of my way."

"No can do, cupcakes." Naruto grinned much to Ichigo's surprise since he wholeheartedly expected the boy to just agree with him so he could get away. "Oh, and since I'm new here, I'd appreciate it if you gave me a tour around the… world." He asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"This kid's right, he's not human!" Kurosaki rationalized before palming his face in annoyance. "Whatever, I'm going home," He took a couple steps through the door before pausing mid-stride and turning his sights back onto the blonde haired boy, "wait, don't tell me…"

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I don't like doing this either." Naruto confessed honestly. Groaning once more, Ichigo mumbled about his dumb luck and continued walking down the stairs with Naruto grudgingly in tow.

Once they were a fair distance from school, Naruto decided to make small talk with the obviously irritated teen.

"Whoa, what are those hunks of metal with wheels?"

"Cars…"

"And what are those boxes?"

"Vending machines…"

"Is there a ramen shop here?"

"Why do you feel the need to ask me every little thing, do I look like I care?" Ichigo finally muttered out. The boy's questions were really grinding on his nerves.

Before Naruto could retort, both boys sensed a presence behind them. Peering back, a girl with burnt orange hair and slender yet curvaceous figure could be spotted hiding behind a lamppost.

"I don't think they saw me. Good job, Orihime, you're like a ninja!" She mumbled to herself proudly while clasping her hands in celebration. Both boys sweat-dropped at the girl's clueless remark.

Pointing at her, Naruto tilted his head so he was looking at Ichigo with the same disconcerting expression as his. "She does know we can see and hear her, right?"

Shaking his head tiredly, he walks up to the innocent girl. "Orihime, why are you following us?" He asks in a gentle but serious tone. This elicits a small squeal from the suddenly surprised girl at being found out.

 _"And he doesn't freak out when she's practically stalking him…"_ Naruto complained while pursing his lips and crossing his arms in aggravation at the unfair treatment he was receiving from his spikey haired acquaintance.

"Ich-Ichigo, umm hello there! I didn't see you coming, hehe." She giggled nervously. Ignoring the obvious fib, Ichigo asked again why she was following them. "Erm, Ichigo, I need to discuss something with you alone…" She says while leaning past Ichigo and indicating for the new student to leave.

"Sorry pretty lady, but I can't leave the vicinity. But if it makes you guys more comfortable, I'll just go check out that vending machine over there," He points towards a nearby vending machine. Without even getting an acknowledgement from them, he darts past them with excitement and curiosity on his face.

Frowning at the boy's weirdness, Ichigo turns his attention back to his longtime friend.

"Ichigo, where is Rukia?" Ichigo's eyes go wide at this simple question. The tone of her voice indicated that she was dead serious about the question. "Why does no one remember her? What is going on around here?"

 _"So I'm not the only one who remembers her too?"_ He lets out a sigh of relief from knowing that he isn't the only one who found it odd that she seemed to have vanished from this world. Glancing back at the blonde haired goofball, he noticed that the boy was easily entertained with the machine, and it looked like he wasn't going to get bored with messing with it anytime soon. Taking a deep breath in, he decides that he should fill her in a bit about everything that's been happening.

Ten minutes later, a deeply engrossed girl was still listening to the boy's explanation.

"You see, Orihime, Rukia had to go back home to Soul Society. That's where she will be happiest."

The girl narrows her eyes at the boy's explanation. She knew that boy did not believe the last sentence he just told her. It also contradicted the last ten minutes of what was just explained to her by the teen. "You don't truly believe that, do you?" He looks at her and curses himself for letting his true feelings leak out. Biting his bottom lip, he shakes his head in denial.

"You're right, I don't. She belongs here. And I know exactly what I have to do now," Ichigo finalizes before nodding appreciatively for her insight and sprinting towards a certain shop.

Smiling happily, she watches the boy leave until she realizes that he was originally with another person. Glancing back toward the vending machine, she is mystified to see that there is no longer anyone there. Her curiosity for the boy had quickly piqued since he had some involvement with Ichigo. Shrugging to herself, she turned back and continued her walk back home.

* * *

"Stop following me, kitty face!" Ichigo yelled over his shoulder to the person following him from the shadows. After sprinting off and leaving Orihime, he totally forgot about his stalker from earlier.

"Don't be such a pansy, kid," Naruto replied back boredly while keeping pace easily with the irritated looking boy. "And if you really had wanted to get rid of me, you would be running faster than you are now."

"I'm sorry I'm not a five star athlete! Maybe next time I'll hire a personal trainer to teach me how to run faster just so you can shut the hell up!" He hollered back sarcastically. Naruto was about to retort about how that wouldn't do shit until something crashed landed into the ground directly in front of them; making the two of them stop in their tracks.

Peering through the smoke of debris, they soon saw a figure walking out of the crater. Seeing the figure created two different reactions from the boys.

"Shit, I forgot all about her." Naruto muttered while face-palming himself for what seem to be the umpteenth time that day.

"Hey, isn't that the new transfer student? What was her name again?" Ichigo thought out loud while scratching his head.

Sighing, Naruto walked up to the now revealed person, and pointed at her. "Ichigo, this is Ikaros. She is an actual angel." At this truth, the boy's eyes twitched at another crazy claim. Although this time, there was some proof to his statement. The proof was in the form of feathery wings protruding from the girl's back.

"Well isn't that just great? I needed more headaches today," Ichigo groaned out loud.

Shaking his head at the teen, Naruto then looks back at Ikaros. "Let me guess, Kami wanted you to watch over me watching this brat?" Seeing a nod from the angel, Naruto rubs his temple in annoyance. Man, that girl was going to be the death of him one of these days.

Recovering from his daze at the mention of Kami once again, Ichigo notices that the sun is almost already fully set much to his nuisance.

"Damn it, I really don't have time for this. If I don't hurry now, I'm going to be late for training!" He explains while dashing past the two without explaining further. Sure, an angel falling out of the sky was something important, but the boy's priorities were focused on getting stronger so he could save his precious friend. If that meant ignoring the pink haired angel in favor of getting to his destination, then damn it he will.

"Training? Hell yes, now we're talking, Strawberry!" Naruto fist pumps the air in joy. Ignoring the yell from Ichigo about how his name is not strawberry, Naruto digs into his pocket and pulls out a bag of chips.

Watching the boy eat the bag of chips, Ikaros wonders why he has not gone after the funny haired looking boy. Still, that bag of chips did look pretty good…

"Huh, you want some, Ikaros?" Naruto asks innocently after noticing the angel practically eyeing the bag of chips the entire time. Seeing a nod, he hands them over to her to which she begins to carefully eat them. Raising an eyebrow at this, he ignores it and decides that he should probably catch up to the boy. "Okay, Ikaros, it's about time we get down to business and see what this world really has to offer." He says while nodding and running in the direction Ichigo had run off to.

Seeing the boy disappearing, Ikaros quickly follows suit and soars into the sky once more to follow him easily from the skies.

* * *

"Hey, Mr. Hat-and-Clogs, I'm here." The spikey haired teen yelled out in front of the store.

"…" Several more seconds passed before another tick-mark formed on Ichigo's forehead.

"Hey, I know you're in there! Stop being an idiot and open the door!"

"Yeah, yeah here I come." An older voice answered back. After a few more moments, the door finally opened revealing a tall, lean-built man with light skin and gray eyes. What stood out most about the man was his dark green and white bucket hat. He was currently sporting a dark coat, with a white diamond pattern along its bottom half, and a dark green shirt and pants underneath.

Seeing the boy, the man takes out his fan and begins waving it whilst covering his face.

"Hello there, kid! Welcome to _Urahara Shop_! How can I be of service, child?" The eccentric man said in a teasing manner. This form of mockery made the teen's eyebrows twitch with exasperation.

"You can drop the welcoming act. You're not fooling anyone, that definitely includes me!"

Mr. Urahara laughs at this, and puts down his fan in a giving up manner. "Okay, okay you got me. But Ichigo, from the way you talked last night, I never would have thought you to be late ever." Putting his right hand to his mouth, he gapes at the boy with mock surprise. "Could it be you're having second thoughts? Or perhaps, you're not interested in Rukia anymore? Oh my, how scandalous, Ichigo, even for you." The man cooed. However, before Ichigo could yell at the man for being such an idiot, he silences the boy with a humorless look. "Besides, would you mind telling me why there are two unknown people hiding behind you?" He asks while pointing in a certain direction behind Ichigo. Eyes widening, Ichigo turns and follows the man's finger and sees the two people from earlier walking from behind a wall. The girl, now was back to normal-normal being she had no wings this time.

 _"Damn, how did he know they were even there?"_ Ichigo questions to himself while gazing back at the man. The more time he spent with the man, the more he would never cease to amaze him. It was a grudging respect at best, but it was still respect for the man.

Naruto was still deciphering on how the man was able to find them out, _"How the hell did the man know we were there? Unless, he can read-"_

 _"That boy, his Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) is incredible."_ An awestruck Urahara observes. Returning his attention back to the teen, he shakes his head in thought. _"He might_ _even have more than Ichigo's…"_ He trails off in thought, _"This begs the question, who is this boy?"_

Feeling the hard gaze coming from the man, Naruto shifts his weight with uneasiness. Yeah, that man could definitely sense his chakra.

"Uh, Mr. Urahara, these are my… friends." Ichigo forcibly stated much to his reluctance of even accepting that notion.

Hiding his face behind his fan again, the shopkeeper stays silent for several tense seconds. Finally, the man puts down the fan again, and this time, he is smiling like a jovial kid.

"It's very nice to meet you two. Can I offer you some candy?" He offers excitedly much to Naruto's disbelief and caution.

 _"What is up with this man? Why is he treating us like guests? It was pretty obvious that he was studying us and knows that there's something different about us compared to normal humans…"_

"Candy? What is candy?" Ikaros replies back genuinely.

"Wha-what? You mean, you've never had candy before?" Seeing her shake her head, the man rushes up to the girl, and grips her hand while starting to cry. "You poor lady. To have been denied something so great, so tasty, I must right this wrong!" The man exclaims passionately while the girl continues to watch the crazy man with a puzzled stare. "Now just stay right there and I'l-gah, let go of my ear, Ichigo!" The man was currently being dragged inside the shop by the spikey haired teen that was now grasping the man's right ear and scowling at the whole situation.

Naruto couldn't help but be reminded of his old sensei. _"Ouch, it still hurts..."_ The boy mentally chuckles sadly at the sentimental thought.

"Shut up, old man. We need to have a quick chat." Glancing at the two people still awkwardly standing in place, Ichigo tells them that he needs to have a very quick discussion with the shopkeeper. Seeing the two of them nod their heads, he enters the shop with the man in tow.

After they closed the door, and he was sure that they weren't being eavesdropped on, does he let go of the man's ear. Rubbing it for comfort, Urahara pouts to him how he could've ripped it off.

"So, do you know who they are? Or, more importantly, what they are?" Quitting his façade, the man leans over to a nearby window and watches the two interacting with each other. The blonde-haired was currently scolding the girl for some reason. Apparently it had to with something she had done earlier since he could see no wrong.

"Since you don't actually know them, and both of us have never met them. My first guess would be that they're shinigami's. However…" He trails whilst still watching them. "I don't get that vibe from them."

"Yeah, same here- especially the blonde haired boy. He said something about him being a guardian angel or something and that he was tasked by Kami to watch over me." Ichigo explained while scratching his head in disbelief.

A flicker of surprise crossed the man's feature for a mere second before he hid it was a stoic look. "Kami, huh?" He mumbles mostly to himself. "I wonder…"

"Yeah, kinda stalkerish isn't?" The orange haired boy continued, now totally lost in thoughts.

"Ichigo, these two people are here to help you." Kisuke states much to the now shocked teen.

"Wha-Now wait just a damn minute! You sound exactly just like that blonde haired brat!" He points accusingly at the man. "Do you know these two people or what?"

Closing his eyes, the man shakes his head. "No, I don't. In fact, I have never met these people in my entire life."

"So, then, why-"

"Because their boss is a valuable customer of course! As a shopkeeper and a man who loves the pleasures money brings, I could never forget a person like that!" Kisuke announces cheerfully with a large smile. Ichigo face-faults at the lighthearted explanation much to his ire.

"So then, who the hell is the boss?" Ichigo demands while waving his fist at the man.

"Nu uh, I can't tell you." He shakes his finger sternly at the boy.

"And why the hell not?"

"Customer privacy." He chuckles.

"I give up." The boy groans while exhaling. Looking back at the two people standing outside, he sighs and moves toward the door. "Well, from what you said and what I've seen from them, they're harmless." Getting a nod from the shopkeeper, he opens the door and waves them in. After they walk in, Kisuke Urahara leads them to the back of the store and lifts up a panel. Underneath it, is a ladder that leads directly down into what looks to be a bottomless pit.

"Nope, I'm not going down that to who knows where." Naruto commented nervously.

"Huh, and here I thought you were a tough guy." Ichigo smirks while beginning to descend.

"Says the kid who complained his tummy was hurting."

"Shut up, you said the same thing!"

"At least I didn't say it first."

"What difference does that even make?"

"All of it."

"Yeah, well at least I'm not-"

"And we're climbing, people. And we're climbing…" Kisuke interrupted the two's banter. He had successfully positioned Naruto while he was arguing with the teen into the hole much to the boy's now terrified look and surprise.

 _"Sneaky bastard. I have to remember to keep an eye on this guy."_ Naruto warned to himself. Realizing the position he was in, he had no choice but to climb down.

When they got all the way down, all three people gasped at what they saw.

 _"Holy shit, it's an enormous underground training ground!"_ Naruto thought with amazement.

 _"Where the hell are we?"_ Ichigo tried to reason.

 _"I'm so freakin awesome."_ Kisuke complimented to himself with no shame.

Once they got to the bottom, they met up with the three other people who worked with the shopkeeper. Subtly, Kisuke gave them a silent signal that indicated to them that now wasn't the time for questions and that the two new guests were not dangerous, not yet anyways. Getting a nod from all three of them, he steps forward in front of all of them.

"No way, this place is amazing! Who would have thought there would be a subterranean training ground underneath my store the entire time?" The shopkeeper hollered with fake shock and awe.

"Oh quit the acting, you knew this place was down here the whole entire time. Still, I will admit it's pretty impressive." Ichigo admitted back impassively.

"Impressive? This place is freakin awesome!" Naruto cried out with joy and stars in his eyes. "Crazy hat dude, how were you able to make this place?"

Shaking his head, the man turns away with a grin adorning his face. "Sorry, but I can't tell you. It's a trade secret."

"Hmph, you and your secrets, Mr. Urahara." Ichigo mutters disdainfully.

Looking back at them, namely Ichigo, the man's joking look immediately turns into a serious one.

"Alrighty then, are you ready to begin step 1 in your training process, Ichigo?" He asks to him directly.

"Huh, step 1? What the hell is step 1?" Ichigo questioned the mischievous man.

Smirking, he lifts his hat up so his eyes are showing and peers directly at the teen. "Why, to get your shinigami powers back of course."

* * *

 **~Omake~**

 **Adventures with Ikaros Part 1:**

"Mmm mmmm mm," Kami hummed while tending to her divine garden. She had been so busy taking care of it that day that she had sent her personal assistant to do her daily tasks and other simple duties that she personally told her to do.

"I wonder where she is now..." She thought out loud. The chores she listed on the to-do-list for the angel stretched for miles. Because of this, she knew the angel would not be done with her day's work for quite some time. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if it took her a whole week to fin-

"Master, I have returned."

-ish all her tasks.

"Ikaros, how are you back already? Have you finished everything that was on the list?"

"Yes, master, I have finished everything that was on the list that you instructed me to do." She replied back with her usual monotone voice.

 _"That's impossible! It would have at least taken me a whole day- A. Whole. Freakin. Day! And I'm Kami for freaks sakes!"_ She thought with dread quickly creeping up on her.

"Really, Ikaros? You did EVERYTHING on the list?" Kami emphasized. She was getting really nervous about the situation.

"Master, I did everything you requested, even that last second request you shouted to me while I was leaving to do what was on the list."

 _"Last second request? When? What? Who? Where?"_ She furiously racked her memory for that specific moment in the past. "Dammit, lives are a stake here! Remember, dammit!"

And in that moment, the hands of death descended upon our goddess's heart when she realized the potential mistake. Craning her head mechanically back to the oblivious angel, she stared at her with her eyes wide-open and mouth agape.

"Ikaros, dear, did you happen to water the plants?" Watching the angel go into deep thought, Kami did the one thing she had never had to do during her entire, infinite existence, and that was to pray. To whom, it didn't really matter at this point. It could've been Chuck Norris for all we know, as long as they answered her prayer, she would take anything.

"If you mean the planet, then yes, I did." Ikaros finally answered back stoically.

"…"

"Master, are you alright?" She asked worriedly, noticing her master's face was turning a deathly pale color.

 _"Heh hehehehe, no wonder she got done so fast. There wasn't anything left to do because it was all washed away."_ She cried mentally to herself.

"Ikaros, I meant that I wanted you to water the plant, Itea (Genus of about 10 species of shrubs and trees)…"

"… Shall I water the plant, Itea, now?"

"No, Ikaros, it's too late for that now!" Kami yelled while pulling out her hair.

"I'm sorry master, I have failed you."

Looking back at her, she sighed before patting Ikaros on the head. "It's okay. It's my fault for having you do all those things." The angel's eyes go wide at her master's sympathy and she smiles with her eyes from the happiness she feels for having a great master. "I'm just going out on a limb here, but, how much water did you give to the planet?"

"…"

"Ikaros…"

"…"

"IKAROS!"

"I was taught by you that to know when to stop watering a plant, you had to wait until the soil started leaking out water and that indicated for you to stop watering."

"… Oh dear."

 _And that is how the biblical flood came to pass…_

* * *

 **Yeah** **, I added Ikaros from Heaven's Lost Property since I thought she would fit in well into the story. How? Well you'll just have to keep reading. As for how powerful Naruto is right now? Probably a low captain since he's getting readjusted** **to his new world and new shinigami abilities. If you haven't noticed already, this story will start off during the beginning of the Soul Society: Sneak Entry Arc. Well, if you have any questions, I'll be sure to answer them in the next chapter. Until next time, ciao!** _  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Yeah I've finally updated. Sorry, I've been very busy with life as a whole. I wish I could update consistently but I'll try to update as fast as possible. Anyways, see you at the bottom.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and Bleach- I doubt I ever will...

* * *

 **Chapter 2: A Shinigami's Power Reclaimed!**

Three people were watching the two new guests with a look of caution and curiosity while they were admiring the training ground. A small boy with red hair, Jinta, leaned over towards a taller, muscular, lightly tan-skinned man a whispered into his left ear.

"Pssh, who are they, Tessai?"

The man answered back by adjusting his glasses before crossing his arms in thought. "I don't know, but the boss seems to trust them- for now anyways."

"Wh-what if they're here to hurt us?" Ururu asks timidly while shuffling her feet in place with nervousness. All three people become content with just watching the new guests and waiting to see what would happen next.

"Yeah, well let's just get this over with," Ichigo huffed out with annoyance.

Grinning, the man in front of him thrusts his staff at the boy much to the boy's complete surprise.

"Gah! What the hell was that for? You should war-" Slouching to the ground suddenly, Ichigo is shocked to realize that he can hardly breathe. Grasping his chest, he gasps for air in a weak attempt to right his breathing.

"It's kind of hard to breathe when you're in soul form isn't it?" Kisuke smirks while watching the boy struggle to breathe. "Both your soul sleep and soul chain have been broken. These two major points are necessary in order for a shinigami to have their powers and," the man pauses to watch the boy's feeble attempts at breathing right before continuing, "to actually breathe normally."

Still struggling to breathe, the orange haired boy glances up at the man with a questioning glare. "So, now what?"

"Well, since your spirit energy is low, we have to get it back up, quickly. And that is exactly what this first step is supposed to do." Turning his head slightly, Kisuke beckons for Ururu to come over. "Ururu, are you ready?"

Looking at the little girl with a mixture of shock and disbelief, Ichigo points at the girl with disapproval. "No, there's no way I'm going to fight a little girl!" He yells vehemently.

"Don't underestimate your opponent, Ichigo." The shopkeeper warns while hiding his face behind his fan.

"Ichigo, please put on this protective gear," she advises timidly while tossing him a head gear and fighting gloves, "I really don't want to kill you."

"What? I'm not going to beat up a little kid just so I can satisfy your sick sense of entertainment!" The boy yells in anger.

 _"Don't say I didn't warn you."_ The man answers back mentally while taking a large step back.

Ururu then charges at Ichigo and pounds the area the boy was standing mere moments before. A huge cloud of dust kicks up from the ground where the impact is made and the area is shrouded in a cloud of dust and sand.

"You think he's dead?"

"Hmm, it's hard to say," Uruhara replies to Tessai before refocusing his attention on the fight.

 _"What the hell is going on?"_ Naruto mentally sweat drops at the scene in front of him. Seriously, these people he's gotten caught up with were bat shit crazy. He and Ikaros had taken up position at a safe distance from the fight. _"Kami, is this just one big joke to you, because I'm not laughing. In fact, the next time I see you, I'm going to kick your ass for being a terrible creator!"_

"Master Uzumaki, I've been told by my master to train you now," Ikaros states out of nowhere with a monotone voice.

"What? What do you mean training?" The blonde haired teen asked with growing curiosity.

Nodding, Ikaros explains to Naruto while her eyes light up with a red color, "Since you don't fully know how to control your new found abilities, it would be in your best interest to learn how to use them correctly so you can be effective in the real world and with your mission. Oh, and you're such a meanie for wanting to kick my sweet, beautiful ass! Most men would want to kiss my perfect butt!" Ikaros explains robotically much to Naruto's now stunned look and mouth fully agape.

 _"The way Ikaros explained that, it sounded like a recording of Kami. Wait, how did Ikaros know I was thinking of kicking Kami's as-"_

"Ikaros, can you communicate directly to Kami?" Naruto asks with a demanding tone.

"Yes, master Uzumaki, however she won't respond to anything from you through me she says." The stoic looking angel further clarifies without blinking.

"Grr, tell her to talk to me instead and to stop using you as a median between us!" Naruto yells while grinding his teeth in anger.

"She says to 'kiss my ass'." Ikaros answers back simply.

"Ugh, forget her then! Let's just train, dammit!" Naruto huffs out. He then takes a fighting stance much to Ikaros's confusion, which is evident with her tilting her head sideways.

"Master, I suggest you bring out your Zanpakutō."

Giving her a confused look, Naruto is then surprised about what he sees next.

Her wings change from the color pink to a bright light, and a golden halo appears above her head. Then, a silver bow appearing out of nowhere, is now in the angel's hands, fully drawn and aimed directly at Naruto.

Gulping with nervousness, he reaches for his weapons pouch and grasps nothing. _"Shit, I'm still in my school uniform! Where the hell is my stuff?"_ Naruto thinks frantically about how he can possibly get his equipment back.

"Master," glancing up, Naruto notices that the pink haired angel is giving him a look of worry, "in order to access your soul, you must find and use the thing you cherish the most." She explains vaguely before releasing her arrow.

Time seemed to slow down in that moment for the hard-pressed teen. _"What do I cherish most, huh? Well that's easy. It would be-"_ The arrow made impact with where the boy was standing and created a large explosion. However, it was clear to anyone that a human figure was still very much intact within the cloud of smoke. After a few moments, the smoke cleared and Naruto was standing in a defensive position with his Hirashin Kunai fully drawn and smoking from having blocked the arrow. But it was Naruto's new attire that was the most interesting thing to see. He was wearing a short-sleeved red coat with a black flame pattern along the hemline. Underneath he was sporting the classic Shihakushō that all shinigami's wear. Looking at himself, Naruto is pleasantly surprised at what he sees. Admiring his new attire, he glances back up and smirks at the angel with a smug look.

"I hate to foil you and Kami's plan, but I won't die that easily." The teen narrows his eyes when he sees Ikaros lower her bow.

"Master Uzumaki, your sword is broken." Eyes widening, he quickly diverts his attention back down at his father's kunai. Cracks and fractures were already forming on the weapon and it was only a second later that the weapon itself shattered into a million pieces.

 _"Wha- how can this be?"_ However, Naruto didn't have any time to process what just happened because in that moment, Ikaros was on him with the intention to kill. _"Shit, it can't end like this! Not until I can see Hinata again! Damn it, it's pathetic! I'm such an-"_

 _" **Idiot!"**_

Blinking, Naruto notices that he's no longer in the underground training ground. Gazing around the area, he realizes that the place he's in seems very familiar, way too familiar. It was a pretty cold and dank place. It was poorly lit and a strange gate was directly in front of him.

 _"Wait a minute, is this where I think it is?"_ Naruto questions himself. He then hears huff coming from the opposite side of the room- the gated off area to be specific. Cautiously, he walks up to the gate and attempts to peer into it.

 _" **Don't tell me you've already forgotten?"**_ A low, ominous growl emanated from the darkness.

"Who are you?" The voice also seemed familiar to the teen. But for some reason he couldn't seem to recall who it came from.

Again, the mysterious person huffed. _**"Figures, you're such a brat. I'm ashamed to ever being your… prisoner."**_

 _"Wait, that way of speaking and arrogant tone. No way, it couldn't be-"_ "Kurama?" Naruto exclaimed with astonishment.

Hearing loud footsteps coming his way, Naruto peers closer in hopes of seeing the shadowy figure more clearly.

Stepping into the light, the Kyūbi reveals itself in all its magnificent glory. Letting out an ear-piercing roar, the nine-tailed fox turns its attention toward the stunned looking teen and gives the blonde haired boy a foxy grin.

"What? How? When?" Naruto bombards the fox with questions to which he huffs out in irritation.

 _" **Shut up. You know why I'm here, and you already know the purpose of me even being here.**_ "

Giving the fox a confused look, Naruto rubs his chin in thought. It took a few minutes, but he finally figured out a part of the question. "Ha, you're here to help me kick some ass!"

Sweat dropping at the boy's crass response, Kurama rolls his eyes before deciding that he should just explain to him what the hell is going on. **_"Naruto, you idiot! While it's true I am here to help you, I won't be helping you the same way like last time."_ **

"Huh, why not?" Naruto asked innocently.

 _"_ ** _Because unlike last time, I'm not physically sealed into you. I'm actually spiritually a part of you."_ **

"So what then? What's the difference?"

Paw palming his face, Kurama mumbles to himself about having a dumb host and how Kami has made this entire situation into one huge joke. _**"Naruto, how come I just now appeared to you?"**_

Thinking back, Naruto quickly remembers the brief fight with Ikaros. "Well I was fighting Ikaros and blocked her attack. But my kunai broke and she was about to attack me until I woke up here."

" **Your weapon is called a Zanpakut** **ō, idiot. And it broke because you didn't accept the spirit within it, or, rather, bother to hear my name…"**

"What does that have to do with you appea-" Naruto stopped midsentence in understanding. "You're the spirit in my Zanpakutō?" He asked with utter disbelief.

 _" **Yes, you fool! Now, say my name again before we both die!"**_ The nine-tailed fox commanded with urgency.

Blinking, Naruto noticed again that he was not in his mindscape anymore, but back at the training ground, and Ikaros was currently on a path to lop off his head. "Here goes nothing!" Raising his arm in a defensive position, Naruto prepares for impact.

"KURAMA!" Naruto yells out with everything he has. Once more, a flash of light envelops the area.

 ***Clang!** *

Eyes widening, Ikaros is astonished at what she sees blocking her overhead swipe.

Holding with both hands in a defensive position, Naruto is wielding a straight blade metallic colored ninjatō. But the most surprising feature about the blade was that it was releasing sparks of electricity from it. Backing off from her attack, Ikaros stands in a nonthreatening pose, giving Naruto a chance to admire his new weapon.

"Why is my sword giving off electricity? If anything, it should be blowing wind since that is my element." Naruto thought out loud.

" **Idiot, you are giving off wind chakra! But the sword absorbs the kinetic energy from the wind and converts it into electricity- increasing the damage you can output!"**

Blinking, Naruto gingerly touches the blade and feels both a slight static shock and vibration from it. "So, it's like a generator?"

" **Yes, and it's powered by you. And the best part is, in essence, the sword is pretty much your second element."**

Frowning now from that piece of information, Naruto asks the fox why exactly his Zanpakutō chose the element lightning.

" **It's because of your soul. Lightning and Wind are complete opposites. But, like in your earlier life, both and only both can understand each another."** The fox explains with a sense of familiarity.

 _"Sasuke…"_ It made sense because Sasuke had lightning affinity while he had wind.

"Congratulations, Master Uzumaki. You have successfully unlocked your Zanpakutō's Shikai form." Ikaros applauds the boy stoically before going back to her normal self as evident by her now green eyes.

Studying the angel now, Naruto sheaths his sword and lets out a loud sigh of relief. "Whew, I'm glad we're done with training now." He then swivels his head to the left and notices there's a huge hole in a certain area of the training ground. _"What the- there wasn't a gigantic hole there before?"_ Piquing his curiosity, he convinces himself that it is worth checking out.

"What the hell, old man? Why am I down here?" An orange haired boy cries out in utter annoyance. Noticing that he can't move freely move his arms, he looks behind him and notices they are bound behind him. "What? And why are my arms bound?"

"I'm sorry Ichigo, but this is for safety reasons." Tessai answers back apologetically before clasping his hands together.

"Hey, Ichigo! How are you doing down there?" A man with a dark green and white bucket hat yelled down with an enthusiastic tone.

"Why don't you come down here and find out, you senile old man!"

 _"Well isn't he peachy. But I doubt he'll stay sassy after I tell him the conditions for step two."_ "Ichigo, listen carefully. Your objective is to reach the top of the hole in your current condition."

Listening intently, Ichigo frowns at the eccentric man. "Are we still training or is this another one of your stupid jokes?"

"Oh, I can assure you this is no joke." Kisuke replies back in a very serious tone much to Ichigo's now attentive self. "You have exactly three days to do so. That will be the amount of time needed for your chains to corrode and for you to become a hollow. In other words," the man lifts his hat up so a nervous Ichigo can see the seriousness in his eyes, "you have three days before we are forced to kill you."

A surge of electricity flowed through the shocked boy at the revelation. _"No way. I could become… a hollow?"_ "This is insane Mr. Hat-and-Clogs! Get me out of here!" He protests.

"You're in no position to protest. Get your lazy ass up and climb out of the hole. It's that easy, Ichigo."

"Easy my ass! Come down here and do that exact same thing!"

Looking at an invisible watch on his left wrist, Kisuke sounds out a ticking sound indicating for Ichigo to start his second step of his training process.

"Uh, crazy old man, what the hell is going on over here? And why is Ichigo bound and attempting to climb out of that deep ass hole?" Following the sound of the voice, Kisuke sees Naruto and Ikaros walking up to him.

"Ah, Naruto! So lovely for you to finally join us in tortur- I mean, training Ichigo." The sketchy man chuckles sheepishly at his slip.

Narrowing his eyes at the mysterious man, Naruto decides that the man is harmless.

"So, who are you freaks?" Jinta asks the two new guests.

"Jinta, that's not a very nice way to greet our guests." Ururu mumbles to her brother skittishly.

"Shut up Ururu, I'm just asking the question everyone here is too scared to ask for themselves!" He defends himself.

Making eye contact with Ikaros, Naruto shrugs and focuses his attention on the pompous little boy. "We're shinigamis." He says simply. This makes both Jinta and Ururu go into a defensive posture from this answer.

"Hold on, kids. There's more to this than you think." Both kids take a quick glance at Mr. Urahara before tentatively relaxing from their poses.

"Umm let's see here. How can we explain this without it sounding crazy?" Naruto scratches his head in thought.

"As long as you're in my shop, there's nothing too crazy that we can't handle! This is a safe and fun working environment! Am I right, kids?"

"Shut up, boss!" Jinta scoffs at the man. In response, Kisuke goes in a fetal position at the boy's insult.

"Nobody likes me…" The now depressed looking man whines. Naruto just gives the man a deadpanned look before rubbing his chin in irritation.

"Anyways, we're the servants of Kami."

"…"

"Yeah, I know, it's pretty freakin crazy to believe but it's true." Naruto confesses to an obviously skeptic audience. Rolling his eyes, he tells Ikaros to do her thing. Bowing to her master, she fully spreads her angelic wings much to everyone's shock and awe.

"They're so beautiful." Ururu comments on the wings. However, Jinta is stunned at the sight before him. Meanwhile Kisuke gives the two of them an unreadable look while studying the wings in front of him.

 _"Hmm, so it's true then. Kami, or rather she sent them here…"_ He thinks quietly to himself.

"So be it! Now back to the main reason we all care about; Ichigo's suicidal training process! I'll explain so listen carefully lady and gentleman. Ichigo has 72 hours to climb his way out of the hole or else he will become a hollow." The man suddenly explains while trying to break the awkward silence.

"Huh, what's a hollow?" Naruto asks innocently.

"They're corrupted human spirits who failed to cross over to Soul Society, idiot! Sheesh, for being a shinigami and a servant of Kami, you don't seem to know much about the afterlife. Either you two are the dumbest shinigami's in the universe and are completely brain dead and know absolutely nothing, or else you aren't who you really say you are." Jinta answers back with a now suspicious gaze at the two individuals.

"Hehehe, uh, we're kind of new at this. It's our first day being, erm, dead?" Naruto tries to explain his awkward situation while failing epically.

"Jinta, just go with it. Trust me, they're completely harmless." Kisuke reassures him. Glaring at them, the boy reluctantly backs off and becomes content with huffing out his disapproval.

"Back to Ichigo's little training program, do you know for sure if he will actually escape the hole?" Naruto inquires while leaning over the edge of the hole.

"Most likely not!" The man replies back cheerfully much to Naruto's now stunned and worried look. "But that's not the main goal for this step. Truth is my boy: the whole point of this little exercise is for Ichigo to find his shinigami powers. And there's only one way for him to obtain them. Putting it crudely, he must become a hollow."

"What the hell? Why?"

"It's the only way for him to hear the voice of his Zanpakutō and to find his shinigami powers from within. You'd be surprised what the threat of imminent death will do to a person- both physically and spiritually." Kisuke chuckles with a melodramatic tone.

 _"Imminent death? Wait, like what happened earlier to me? Of course, now it makes sense! This training thing is the exact same as when Ikaros tried to lop off my head earlier."_ Naruto pieced together the purpose and reason for the extreme situation. _"Now that I think about it, I think my training was a little easier than Ichigo's. At least then I didn't have to wait and think about my impending fate."_

"Master Uzumaki, if you feel that your training from earlier didn't suffice, I shall proceed with the training Mr. Urahara here has created." Raising an eyebrow at the angel's sudden request, Naruto turns his head behind him to see what Ikaros was spouting out about. Jaw dropping at what he saw, Naruto's eyes nearly bulged out of its sockets. In front of him was the exact same-size hole Ichigo was currently in, and Ikaros was awaiting his answer while diligently waiting in place right next to the hole.

"No, Ikaros, I'm completely satisfied with my training from earlier!" Naruto screamed with growing fear at his daft servant.

"Master, are you su-"

"Hell yes I am sure! And how the hell did you make a hole that deep that fast anyways?" Naruto questioned the confused looking angel.

"I dug."

"Obviously!"

"I used my hands."

"Who does that?" Naruto yells back with disbelief.

"Shall I make another hole for reference?" Ikaros asks politely.

"Hell no! Ugh, honestly, you can do whatever except that training thing." Naruto relents before releasing a sigh at the airheaded angel.

"If that's what you wish, master." She bows down to him much to his annoyance. Shaking his head, Naruto switches his attention to Mr. Urahara.

"So it's going to take three days?" Seeing a nod from the old man, Naruto continues, "Well since he's my responsibility, can I continue to train here until he finishes his training?"

"Ah, what an excellent suggestion! Of course you can train down here! Under one condition though…" The man cuts off vaguely.

"And that would be…"

"You have to protect everyone when they go to Soul Society in ten days." He offers to a now curious teen.

"Soul Society, I heard that earlier from that snot nosed red haired colored kid. What is that, like a heaven or something?" Jinta gives Naruto a dirty look at being called snot nosed.

Giving Naruto a strange look, Kisuke explains to Naruto that it is an afterlife where souls are destined to go to, but it is not heaven.

"And there's exactly four more people going along with Ichigo."

"Mr. Urahara, you didn't even have to ask. Of course, I won't let anyone die!" Naruto announces proudly much to the man's joy.

 _"I don't know exactly if you really are what you say you are, but you must be a gift from Kami."_ Grinning, the man nods his appreciation to the blond haired teen before walking off with Jinta and Ururu back to the ladder that leads back up to his shop.

Turning back to Ikaros, Naruto gives the pink haired angel a silly look. "Kami, why did you just make that such a cliché interaction?"

"Because I love clichés! They are the laws of the universe!" Kami responded through Ikaros in a cheery tone. Her eyes were once again red indicating that the goddess was speaking through her. "So, dear, what do you think of the boy? Isn't he interesting?"

Snorting at the question, Naruto looks back down the hole and watches the boy continue to try to run up the wall. "He's stupid, brash, and inexperienced. However, I sense immense potential with him."

Nodding, Ikaros takes a thinking pose and twirls her hair in thought. "If you think so, then that must be true! Well I have to go tend to my garden. Please, continue to take care of Ikaros, she can be a handful if you hadn't realized it yet. Anyways, until next time, goodbye my young champion!" Naruto's right eyebrow twitches at the goddess for essentially adding another job to his already huge babysitting duties.

 _"She's really going to be the death of me."_ He mentally mumbles to himself before sitting down cross-legged and continuing to watch Ichigo fail to climb out of the massive hole. Ikaros soon joined him so that both people were watching the orange haired boy, much to his growing annoyance of having an audience watching him fail repeatedly.

* * *

 _~Three days later~_

"Shit, this doesn't look good at all!" Naruto's eyes began to widen at the scene in front of him. Three days had passed and Ichigo had failed to climb out of the hole in the allotted time. Because of this, his chains of fate had eaten themselves completely and the poor boy was now in process of transforming into a hollow. _"Now what am I supposed to do? The old man said this would happen but what the hell are we supposed to do about him becoming a hollow?"_

Jinta's reaction was similar to Naruto's and he had backed up slightly from the hole during the beginning stages of the hollowfication. "Boss, we should kill it! The idiot is a hollow!" However, the older man takes a step forward and places his cane between the giant hole and the group of people like a barrier.

"Wait. Look at Ichigo for a moment and tell me what you see." Tilting his head in confusion, the boy complies and studies the orange haired boy. Seeing the boy look, Mr. Urahara nods his head and continues. "As you can see, Ichigo is not quite a hollow yet. Usually when a soul becomes a hollow, they explode outwards and the mask is the last thing to form. However, this transformation is beginning at Ichigo's face. His mask is forming but as a whole he is still is a human soul- for the most part anyways. This means one thing: Ichigo is still resisting and there is still a possibility for him to become a Soul Reaper."

"Even so, what happens if he does become a hollow?" Naruto questions the man while narrowing his eyes with suspicion.

Closing his eyes, Kisuke lowers his hat and covers his face so it's unreadable. "Then I'll personally see to it that he's eliminated."

"You better pray that does not happen." Naruto knew this all was a huge risk. But Kami hadn't said anything about stopping Ichigo's training program. Plus, the boy needed whatever powers he had lost earlier or else he would be completely useless. In that moment, Tessai groaned in effort at having to restrain Ichigo during the whole process.

"Boss, I have no choice but to take him down. He's too dangerous and I won't be able to restrain him for much longer. _**Bakudō 99- Bankin!**_ " Tessai yells before shoving two of his fingers into the ground. White fabrics began to cover Ichigo from head to toe. Soon after, numerous metal bolts began to impale the teen. "Here we go!" An enormous metal cube that had been floating above the hole began to descend downwards where Ichigo was all wrapped up and impaled.

 _"Holy shit, there's no way that boy can escape from there now!"_ Naruto suddenly realized. Understanding that he had to definitely do something now, he peers at Ikaros quickly. She shakes her head much to his puzzlement. Looking back down the hole, he gasps at the sight of Ichigo escaping from his morbid situation.

"Arrgh!" A very demonic, high-pitched voice roared out before the boy flew out of the hole and crashed landed about a couple meters from their current position.

Quickly recovering from their shock, the group runs over to where the crash occurred. Naruto was the first person there, and he was shocked at what he saw when he got there. In front of him was Ichigo in his shinigami outfit, but a fully completed hollow mask was on his face.

 _"I sense unimaginable evil within this thing, yet I sense… humanity too?"_ Naruto questioned with great conflict.

"So, Mr. Urahara, is he a hollow or a Soul Reaper?" Not hearing an answer from the shopkeeper, Naruto cautiously gets closer to the boy in order to get a better look.

Ichigo abruptly lifts his right hand and impales his face with his butt-end of his Zanpakutō- shattering the mask and revealing a very peeved looking human face from underneath it.

"Of course I'm not a hollow goddamn it!" Ichigo complained before rubbing his temple in annoyance. Glancing down at himself, he is happy to see that his Soul Reaper attire is back, and that his powers were back as well.

"Congratulations, Ichigo! You have successfully passed the second part of the tra-"

 ***Whack** *

"Ha, I promised myself when I was in that hellhole that if ever got out, you were the first person I was going to kill!" Ichigo sneered maliciously after whacking the shopkeeper with his Zanpakutō. The said man was now rubbing his head in discomfort.

"Hmm, is that so? Well I guess this makes the third step that much easier." Getting back up, Kisuke brushes himself off so that all the dust and dirt would be off his clothes.

"Ehh? Now what's step three?" Ichigo questioned out loud.

"Step three is perhaps the easiest of them all. All you have to do is," the older man pointed at his hat, "knock off my hat from my head."

Raising an eyebrow, Ichigo smirks at the criteria. "You're god damn right that's easy. Hell I'll get it off in five seconds!"

Grinning at the boy's foolish sense of power, Kisuke draws his cane in an attacking posture. " Oh, is that so? Care to make a wager, little boy?"

"Huh? A wager?" The orange haired boy asked genuinely surprised at the man's suggestion.

"Yes, whoever wins can make the loser do whatever they want, interested?" Watching Ichigo hesitantly nod his head in confirmation, the man shakes his head while smirking before continuing. "Very well. But the guidelines are going to be a little different. Instead of five seconds, you will have one whole minute to knock my hat off."

"C'mon old man, don't make it easier for me."

"Trust me, I'm not." He sheathes his cane, revealing a pretty ordinary looking blade.

 _"So, his cane is a sword? What difference will that make if it isn't a Zanpakutō? Only one of those swords could hurt a Soul Reaper. I guess the asshole wants to lose."_ Internally smirking at the easy win, Ichigo prepares himself to strike the man.

Noticing the smirk from the boy, Kisuke shakes his head in disappointment. "Oh, so just because you don't think my sword is a Zanpakutō that means I couldn't possibly be able to hurt you, huh? That's really a damn shame, Ichigo." Eyes widening at the implication, Ichigo readies himself.

Looking down at his beige-colored shikomizue, he grasps the handle tightly before continuing on. " _ **Awaken- Benihime!**_ " A bright light covers the sword making Ichigo cover his eyes for a second before peering back at the sword. Stunned at seeing the sword now a sleek, medium-sword, Ichigo stares at the man in front of him with a look of utter suspicion and befuddlement.

 _"Mr. Hat-n-Clogs has a Zanpakutō? But I thought only shinigami's had them?"_

"Oh don't be surprised. Besides, I do consider myself as being the strong, tall, mysterious type of man." He giggles shamelessly to himself while raising his hat and grinning widely at his claim; this caused Ichigo to form a tick mark at the man's antics.

"Shut up, old man. This isn't a speed date. This is a fight in which I kick your ass. Mr. Hat-n-Clogs!" And with that last statement, Ichigo charges at the man.

 _"Well that wasn't very suave, tsk, teens and their overt desires to get everything done as quickly as possible. *Sigh* I guess it's about that time I kick the boy's as- shit, now he's making me more of an idiot than I already am. Very well, let's get this fight over with."_ Kisuke then matches Ichigo and charges at him as well.

"So the boy's finally going to get some sense knocked into him? Good riddance." Naruto thought before glancing back Ikaros.

"Ikaros, is it okay if we sparred for a little bit?"

Thinking intensely to herself, Ikaros then nods her head in confirmation that it would indeed be okay for them to spar each other. "Are you ready, master?"

Grimacing at being called master, Naruto brings up an idea that would solve this dilemma.

"Ikaros, let's make our own deal. If I win this spar, you have to stop calling me master."

Narrowing her eyes, Ikaros shakes her head. "I cannot allow that, master. Maybe we should make a bet about something else- perhaps something of the sexual kind? Humans, men specifically, tend to fancy those types of things." The angeloid suggests to a now shocked looking shinobi.

"Wha- you know what, never mind, let's just duel for the sake of dueling." A clearly flustered Naruto counters adamantly while rubbing the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"As you wish, master Uzumaki." Ikaros complies obediently.

 _"I hate my life."_ The blonde haired teen complained haplessly before charging at the socially challenged angel.

* * *

~Five days later~

After regaining his shinigami powers in only five days, Ichigo used the last five days of training to build up his endurance and strength while Naruto continue to hone his new powers with his new partner in crime. Throughout the training, Naruto did discover a new power that was laid dormant until his vigorous training session brought it out. However, he would have to wait to reveal it to his new friends since it was new and indeed powerful. Currently, both combatants were huffing in exhaustion. They had been battling their counterpart for five straight days and, frankly, were reasonably tired from it. Ichigo had collapsed from the intense sparring session, which made Mr. Urahara look at fainted boy with a newfound respect. Meanwhile, Naruto was wide-awake, however, he was at his limit and he was currently on his hands and knees much to his dislike.

"Master, we shall end the spar now. I will not fight you any further, master." Ikaros stated clearly, her intentions were as clear as day.

Biting the bottom of his lip, Naruto reluctantly nods before getting back up fully and conceding that it was time to end their marathon-long spar. Looking to his left, he sees that Ichigo has collapsed from his training session. Smiling slightly, the whiskered haired man walks slowly to the unconscious boy and the unreadable shopkeeper. Lifting the boy up from his shoulders, Naruto asks the shopkeeper the obvious question.

"Now what?"

"Take him home. I'll send him a message tonight."

Ikaros stepped forward and told Naruto that she knew where the boy lived and would direct him there. Hesitating, Naruto merely nods in confirmation, thanks the shopkeeper for his hospitality and follows Ikaros to the poor boy's home.

Urahara meanwhile watches the group leaves with utter fascination. "Why did she send those two? I wonder…"

~Kurosaki Residence~

Naruto and Ikaros had walked for several long hours before Ikaros identified the stupid teen's home. Pointing at the home, Naruto had to admit it was pretty ordinary looking.

"It's crazy to believe a boy like him lives in such a normal household." Naruto commented out loud.

"We should never judge a book by its cover, regardless of its wear-and-tear." The angel added with a monotone voice."

Giving the angel a respectful glance, Naruto stares at the home. It was going to be annoying to move the unconscious boy into his home without alerting anyone since Mr. Urahara had told him that three other people lived with the brat- his father and two sisters.

Sighing out loud, Naruto decided that jumping up to the boy's room would suffice. Locating it, he quietly leapt to it and slid the window open and entered the Kurosaki residence. Naruto was surprised at how sparse the boy's room really was. There wasn't much in the boy's room except his bed obviously enough. Frowning at the boy's Spartan lifestyle, Naruto decided that he should place him on his bed. After doing that, the man is content with gazing at the teen with a pang of jealousy.

 _"If only I was him and had now experience pain and death. I would be a totally different person."_ Sighing quietly to himself, Naruto pulls the boy's covers up and prepares to leave before Ikaros halts him dead in his tracks.

"Master, we must stay with the boy, it's what Kami commands." Ikaros states mechanically which makes Naruto uneasy.

 _"Who is she to command me what to do? And what's with the sudden authoritative command?_ " Naruto questions quietly to himself while crossing his arms.

"Very well. Say, do you have any ramen on you, Ikaros?"

"I do not, master Uzumaki. Shall I find some for you?"

"No, let's just wait for the crazy man's message." Naruto responded carefully, this angeloid was a disaster waiting to happen- Naruto was sure of it.

"The boy shall awake in approximately thirty minutes." Ikaros stated.

 _"That soon? Man, this boy must be special."_ And with that thought, Naruto decided it'd be best to wait for the boy to wake up.

Waking up, Ichigo noticed something was off, namely there were two individuals in his room.

Groaning at the inconvenience, Ichigo rubbed his eyelids in annoyance. "Why are you two wonder freaks in my room?"'

"The name's Naruto and we're in your room for security reasons." He stated with irritation.

"Ah, I remember you two. You're the special individuals, am I right?"

"If that helps you sleep at night then that's correct."

"Stop messing with me, dammit. Why are you really here?" Ichigo demanded while restraining himself from kicking the two individuals out of his room.

Looking at one another, it was Ikaros who decided to answer the poor boy's question. " We're awaiting Kisuke's commands."

"Commands, huh, the hell does that mean." The orange haired teen replied back with disbelief.

"Mr. Kurosaki, it means we wait for the man's commands." Ikaros replied with more dominance than normal much to the two boy's surprise.

"Uh, yeah, what she said. We don't really care, like we said, we're here to protect you." Naruto added, still recovering from his partner's unexpected outburst.

Looking at the two people in front of him, Ichigo sighs in weariness and becomes content with gazing out the window.

Turning his attention back to the emotionless angeloid, he gives her a frustrated look. "So how long do we have to wait for this message?"

"I have no idea, master Uzumaki." She answers back plainly.

"I guess we'll just have to wa-"

 _ ***Splat!** *****_

Swiveling their heads towards the boy's closet, a red paint blot covers it entirely. Apparently a ball filled with paint had been thrown against the closet, making a huge mess.

"Damn it, now I gotta clean this mess up-"

"Shut up, there's something being written." Naruto hushed the boy while carefully studying the now legible words being written by paint.

 _"Cometh immediately to the front of the Urahara Store."_ Right eye ticking at the crazy man's message, Ichigo throws his pillow at it in frustration.

"What the hell is wrong with that man? Only a crazy and unstable person would do something like this! Wait a minute, there's more?"

 _"P.S Anyone who sees this and thinks something as ordinary as 'Only a crazy and unstable person would do something like this' clearly has no sense of humor."_

"Shut the hell up!"

Watching the boy get heated up over something this childish made Naruto chuckle from nostalgia. _"Man, I miss goofing around and pulling pranks. Heh, maybe I should start pranking this brat?"_

"Master Uzumaki, Mr. Urahara has sent us a command." Ikaros stated while pointing at the painted message.

"Ikaros, be honest with me here, do you think I'm stupid?" Naruto asked genuinely while crossing his arms indignantly.

"Yes, master always told me that you were an unintelligent, unorthodox, genius. It was a very contradictive statement so I assumed the former that you were unintelligent, and based my interactions off that belief."

Rubbing his eyes at Kami's childish nature, Naruto sighs loudly before patting Ikaros on the head and giving her a serious look much to her surprise and confusion.

"Listen well, I am not in fact stupid. I am actually very smart."

"I understand now, master. I will no longer treat you like a person with an adolescent intelligence." Nodding, Naruto keeps patting the angel's head in agreement. "I will now treat you like a hormonal raging teenager."

"That's good to he- hold on, say what?" Naruto stopped patting her head.

"You have been upgraded from one intelligence level to the next higher one- the hormonal raging teen stage. Am I incorrect in that order?" Ikaros tilts her head in confusion.

"Well, erm, no, I guess. But I am an adult! Treat me as such from now on, okay?"

"Your wish is my command, master." Groaning at finally clearing the confusion, Naruto switches his attention back to Ichigo.

"We'll meet you outside. Take as much time as you need to prepare." Seeing the orange haired boy nod in confirmation, both Naruto and Ikaros jumped out the window and began walking back to Mr. Urahara Shop.

Walking out of his bedroom, Ichigo glances at his sisters' rooms. _"I'm gonna miss Karin and Yuzu."_ He thinks quietly to himself before closing his door and proceeding to leave the house.

Outside, Ichigo gazes up at the moon and becomes happy with just staring at it for a moment.

"Where do you think you're going, son?" Eyes widening slightly, Ichigo swivels his head and notices his dad standing behind him.

"Dad, what are you-"

"You think you could just leave quietly without saying goodbye to your dear old dad?" Seeing Ichigo giving him an imploring stare, Isshin reaches into his pocket and hands his son something.

"Huh, what is this?" The boy asked while looking over the item in his left hand.

"It's a protective charm." He answers back.

"I don't want this!" Ichigo counters stubbornly.

"Your mother gave that to me, and I'm lending it to you. So, you gotta give it back when you come back home."

Studying the charm, Ichigo closes his hand and proceeds to walk away in silence.

"Make sure to come back. Yuzu and Karin need their older brother." The now serious man said to a leaving Ichigo.

"You're damn right I'll be back! I can't leave those two under the care of a lunatic!" Ichigo answered back while waving his final goodbye.

 _"That boy is too much like me when I was younger. The belief that you can save everybody."_ Isshin thought quietly to himself while grinning with nostalgia.

* * *

"Huh, there are some new people at Mr. Urahara's Shop." Naruto pointed out calmly. He already had a guess to whom they were since the shopkeeper did hint about them from earlier.

"Oh, Naruto, how come you're here?" A surprised but cheery voice asked the blond-haired man. Following the voice, Naruto instantly recognized the person of the voice.

 _"Ugh, super hot, stalker girl. What was her name again? Orihim…ee?"_

"I was just taking a nice stroll tonight." Naruto fibbed weakly, but he didn't care what they thought of his piss-poor excuse.

"O-oh okay? And you're walking with Ikaros?" She turned her attention to the pink-haired angeloid.

"Actually we were originally going to fly around town, but we decided otherwise."

"You can… fly?"

"Don't be stupid. Humans can't fly." Naruto corrected her much to the young girl's growing confusion.

Hearing a laugh, everyone turned to see that it was coming from Mr. Urahara himself. "Naruto, please, hahaha, stop teasing these innocent kids."

"You're almost as annoying as Ichigo." Raising an eyebrow at that accusation, Naruto noticed it came from a kid he had not recognized from earlier. However, something told him that the boy was in his class.

"So, four-eyes, do you have some sort of obsession with that delinquent?" The man calmly asked to a now infuriated boy.

"Absolutely not! He is merely my rival and destined enemy." The Quincy recovered weakly while pushing up against his glasses into place. "Anyways, I know who you are, Naruto Uzumaki. You probably don't know who I am, so allow me to introduce myself. I am Uryū Ishida."

"Oh, okay..."

"…"

Turning to the other larger boy, Naruto looked the intimidating man over for a moment. "Sheesh, what does his parents feed him, deluxe miso ramen?"

"I'm Chad."

"Hey, it's nice to meet you Chad."

"You too, Naruto." Chad nodded much to Naruto's unexpected pleasure at talking to a person who didn't love the sound of his or her own voice like some other people…

"What the heck? I don't get a greeting?" Ah, the boy with the stick up his ass is complaining.

"Hehehe, you are an interesting individual, Naruto." A masculine voice chirped in suddenly.

"Well it would appear that everyone knows who I am," Naruto chuckled softly before turning around to see the mysterious person who complimented him.

"Hey there fella, how's it going?" The man grinned at the black feline.

"Quite well, thank you very much."

"My pleasure, talking cat." Naruto smiled back.

However, two people were shocked at the completely civil conversation Naruto was having with a… cat.

 _"What? How is this man not at all perturbed by a talking cat?"_ Ishida thought unbelievably.

"Oh, it looks like you two are getting along great!" Orihime commented joyfully.

"We are, aren't we? By the way, my name is Yoruichi." The dark colored cat introduced itself.

"Well, it looks like the person of the hour finally showed up."

Noticing that Ichigo had finally showed up, the group slowly walked up to meet with him.

"Huh, why are you three here, Orihime, Uryū, Chad?" Ichigo asked stunned that his friends were suddenly there waiting for him.

"Why, we're here to help you rescue Rukia!" Orihime announced to which Chad nodded in confirmation and Ishida huffed in reply. Looking at the three of them, Ichigo shakes his head at this.

"No, it's too dangerous. This is my fight and my fight alone!"

Walking forward, Yoruichi explains the situation more clearly. "Ichigo, your friends are not as weak as you think they are. While you've been training, they have been training as well so that they could be strong enough to help rescue Rukia with you."

"Umm, is anyone else kind of freaking out that there's a talking cat?" Ichigo interjected while pointing at the now amused looking feline.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm still having trouble adjusting to that concept." Chad added to which Ishida nodded frantically in agreement.

Closing his fan in dramatic fashion, Urahara clears his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, since we're all here, it's time for us to go downstairs and to get this party started!" And with that, everyone began to enter the shop and make a beeline to the underground training ground.

* * *

"Alrighty everyone, gather around and behold this beautiful masterpiece!" Pointing at a marble like archway, Urahara grins smugly at the structure.

Everyone stares at the figure with a mixture of awe and confusion.

"So, how does this thing work?" Naruto asks with skepticism.

"I'm glad you asked, blondie!" The shopkeeper winked at the now annoyed man before continuing his explanation. "It's a special type of conversion gate that will allow all of you to safely travel through to the other side. What this means is that you will become essentially in your soul form without actually having to… die." Noticing the look of horror crossing the peoples' faces, Urahara smirks before going further into detail. "Obviously, Naruto and Ichigo don't need this conversion because of their abilities to become Soul Reapers themselves. But you three kids must become souls." He states while looking at Orihime, Chad, and Uryū.

"Fine, we get it. We have to be in soul form in order to go to the Soul Society. Can we just go then? Every minute wasted here is a minute that could be used in rescuing Rukia!" Ichigo complained loudly.

"There is one last thing I simply must mention," Noticing that he got the orange haired boy's attention- he revealed the last piece of information, "you only have four minutes to pass through or else be forever trapped between the two dimensions."

"Wha-what? Only four minutes? How are we going to be able to get to the other side in such a short amount of time?" Orihime questioned with a defeated sigh.

However, the black feline stepped forward and answered the girl's question charismatically. "As long as you have a goal and keep it close to your hear and follow it, I promise you all that you will make it to the other side." Yoruichi stated while smiling with confidence.

"Well, guys, this is the last chance to back out. Do you still want to do this?" Ichigo asked worriedly.

"Of course, if they weren't serious about this, they would have never even showed up." Naruto answered charismatically. Seeing a nod from everyone, Ichigo grinned with confidence before charging ahead through the Senkaimon. Soon after, everyone else followed suit and ran through it.

This left one tired looking shopkeeper with his thoughts and memories. _"Hmm, I wonder…"_ He reached his hand out towards the gate and- "Ouch!" Recoiling his hand back from the burning sensation the gate inflicted to his hand. _"Seems like I'm still not allowed to go back. In any case, good luck kids."_

* * *

 **~Omake~**

 **Adventures with Ikaros Part 2:**

Kami was walking through her garden while admiring the many plant life and animals that lived in it when she heard shouting coming from a certain part of her garden. Pouting to herself that it was her daily noon walk and it was being interrupted by some shouting, she forces herself to check out the ruckus.

Rounding a corner, she sees three of her subordinates playing what looked to be some kind of strange game that involved a fist-sized ball. Deadpanning at the three angeloids, Kami makes her presence known with a heavy sigh.

"Oh, look, it's master! Hello master!" A blue haired angel waved in acknowledgment of Kami.

"Yes, dear, I see you. But I must ask, what in the blazes is going on here?" She demands while putting her hands on her hips in a commanding posture.

"We're playing football!" A busty blonde angel answer back loudly.

"That is incorrect, Astraea. The game we're currently playing is called baseball."

Eyes-widening at her mistake at what sport they were playing, she studies the baseball in her hand with newfound interest. "So, is this the thing about 'if you build it, they will come?' "

"… Yes."

"We're getting off topic here, lovelies. What I wanna know is why you're playing base- uh- baseball, in my garden no less." Kami demands with growing irritation.

"That's easy, master. We were watching the world below us and stumbled upon this very intriguing game the humans had created. We were bored and thought it might be fun to try out. As for why we decided to play in the garden well…" Nymph trailed off in embarrassment.

"We saw in a movie that the best way to play this sport was in a corn field." Ikaros finished her thought.

Raising an eyebrow at this explanation, Kami peers from side to side and notices that they were indeed in the corn area of her garden. "I see. However, I must detest that you move your little game to another location. Perhaps somewhere outside my garden?"

"About that…"

"What else do you want to share with me, lovely?" Kami asks in a low threatening tone that makes Nymph all of a suddenly very uncomfortable.

"We are going to have a party here! And we invited everyone!" Astraea announced cheerfully and boastfully.

At this point, Kami's left eye was twitching dangerously. Not only had they interrupted her peaceful garden stroll, they threatened to destroy part of her garden to play some barbaric game the humans had created in order to waste time.

"A party, huh?" All three angels were now on edge from seeing their master becoming angrier and angrier.

"Master, if it would please you, we can cancel the party." Ikaros tried to negotiate to a now furious individual.

"Oh it's cancelled alright. However, you three troublemakers need to learn not to interrupt someone's quiet time, especially their daily noon walks in the garden!"

"Master, aren't you taking this a little too far? It's just a walk in the holy garden. Surely it can't mean that much to you?" Astraea asked innocently.

Snap, that was the last string of patience Kami had for the three of them. Snapping her fingers, she teleported the three of them to a different location instantaneously. Letting go a sigh of relief, Kami begrudgingly tasks herself with cleaning up the baseball field during her precious break time.

So where did she send the three angels as punishment? That's easy, since it all started with baseball, as punishment she sent them to watch a Chicago Cubs game. The three temporary humans quickly became bored of the sport and fell asleep. Since then, the Cubs have not been prevalent ever since.

* * *

 **That's the end of Chapter 2! Chapter 3 will finally deal with the events that happen in soul society. That also means we'll get our first meaningful fight scene! As for who Ichigo will be paired up with, I don't know yet. But he will only be paired with one girl. As for Naruto, he will always love Hinata... Anyhow, until next time, ciao!  
**


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